Question Alternating use of identical 2nd stages

[SlugLife]

I do not swap the two second stages between service intervals in an attempt to even the wear on them, if that is what you're asking. I service my regs after 200 dive-hours or 2 years, whichever comes first, because the manufacturer recommends that interval. Could I extend the service interval if I were to do that? I don't know, the manufacturer doesn't suggest anything like that, and I'm not interested in experimenting. If for some reason a second stage were to misbehave between service intervals, I could simply service it early. Servicing a second stage is not difficult.

Agreed. Also the vast majority of wear-and-tear typically comes from (in order):

• Salt Water
• Fresh Water
• Physical Abuse (scraping into rocks, etc)
• Sitting on the shelf for decades
• Normal use

That's coming from experience servicing a number of "ebay regulators" including more than a dozen 1st and 2nd stages. Though I am no service-technician, or expert. Just a DIY person.

Salt-Water easily topping the list by several miles. So if you're worried about wear-and-tear, the use itself is fairly meaningless. But ensuring the 1st and 2nd stage gets a good rinse immediately after a salt water dive (pressurize regs first) is probably the best way to maintain regs. I actually keep a spare set of older scuba-pro regs that I know how to service for salt-water dives, so I don't have to use my best regulators.

 

[Wants2divemore]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all the advice.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

At your safety stop or when you complete your last decompression, switch to the back up regulator before exiting the water. Everything is in place. Hypoxic mixes don't apply to this technique.

 

[GDHLEWIS]

Normally swap when inflating a DSMB and during safety stops on each dive, just to make sure its used often

 

[happy-diver]

Some dives seem short and some dives seem long but I'm sure they're all short
so unless the gear needs touching I will not practice anything until it is required

 

[BoltSnap]

At your safety stop or when you complete your last decompression, switch to the back up regulator before exiting the water. Everything is in place. Hypoxic mixes don't apply to this technique.

How many deco dives have you made so far? Where?

 

[Lorenzoid]

At your safety stop or when you complete your last decompression, switch to the back up regulator before exiting the water. Everything is in place.

An added benefit of this on dives from tenders or small boats where you remove your rig and hand it up to a crew member is that you can stow your long hose so that when you hand the rig up the long hose doesn't flop all over.

Hypoxic mixes don't apply to this technique.

I'm thinking that our OP, with less than 50 dives to his name, is not diving hypoxic trimix, so that's a bit superfluous and potentially distracting to the discussion.

 

[Geo7]

I try and switch on every dive (usually at the safety stop like JCP2 said): 1) for muscle memory of swithching, and 2) to monitor the feel of the secondary.

 

[buddhasummer]

I switch to mine during safety stop, it's habit.

 

[Wants2divemore]

I'm thinking that our OP, with less than 50 dives to his name, is not diving hypoxic trimix, so that's a bit superfluous and potentially distracting to the discussion.

That's right, just NDL rec diving for me on air. No plans for advanced gases / deco in the future.